#2312 - Jeremy Renner
The Joe Rogan Experience
Sponsors
Gold Belly, ZipRecruiter, AG1, DraftKings
Bias Assessment
The podcast content does not show discernible bias towards the identified sponsors (Gold Belly, ZipRecruiter, AG1, DraftKings) based on the fact-checking results, as there are no mentions or claims related to the sponsors within the provided transcript segments. Without evidence of exaggerated, overly positive, or misleading integration of sponsor content, no bias can be assessed.
Analysis Summary
This podcast episode features Jeremy Renner discussing his near-fatal snowcat accident on New Year's Day 2023 and his subsequent challenging recovery. Fact-checking confirms the accident date, the approximate weight of the vehicle involved, and the high number of broken bones (38) he sustained. Specific severe injuries mentioned, such as a liver laceration from a broken rib and impact to the skull, are also largely consistent with reports, as is the general sense that his vital organs and spine were spared critical damage, enabling his survival and remarkable recovery. However, a claim about his body being 20% titanium appears to be a significant overestimate, and a story about a surgical screw originating from Home Depot is highly improbable and likely metaphorical exaggeration.
Beyond the physical ordeal, Renner reflects on the mental and emotional aspects of recovery, emphasizing the role of mindset, resilience, and community support. He shares how the experience profoundly shifted his perspective on life, leading him to prioritize gratitude, love, and meaningful contributions. The discussion also covers his charitable work with The Renner Foundation in Lake Tahoe, which supports foster and disadvantaged youth, and his Disney+ show "Rennervations," focusing on repurposing vehicles for community benefit. Fact-checking verifies the existence and stated focus of his foundation and the nature of his show. While the podcast includes many personal anecdotes and philosophical discussions not subject to factual verification, the key factual claims surrounding the accident's details and his public philanthropic and media endeavors are largely accurate, providing a reliable backdrop for his reflections on overcoming adversity.
Fact Checks
| Timestamp | Fact | Accuracy | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:04:07 --> 00:06:07 | It was a new year's day, New Year's Day, 2023 [when the accident happened]. | 100 🟢 | Numerous news reports and official statements confirm that Jeremy Renner's severe accident involving a snowcat occurred on New Year's Day, January 1, 2023, near his home in Reno, Nevada. (Source: Associated Press, CNN, BBC News reports from January 2023). |
| 00:06:07 --> 00:06:12 | So, it's about like 16,000 pounds or so [referring to the snowcat]. | 80 🟡 | Jeremy Renner was operating a PistenBully PB 240 snow groomer. While specific models and configurations can vary, models in this class, such as the PB 240 D, have operating weights typically in the range of 6,000 to 8,000 kilograms, which translates to approximately 13,000 to 17,500 pounds. The figure of "about 16,000 pounds" falls within this general range for the type of equipment. (Source: Kässbohrer All Terrain Vehicles (PistenBully manufacturer) specifications, heavy equipment databases). |
| 00:11:05 --> 00:12:32 | It's 38 broken bones. | 100 🟢 | Jeremy Renner and his representatives publicly confirmed in interviews and statements following his accident that he sustained 30 plus, and later specified 38, broken bones as a result of being run over by the snowcat. (Source: Jeremy Renner interviews with Diane Sawyer, ABC News, and other media outlets in 2023). |
| 00:11:05 --> 00:12:32 | Your skull got run over. | 80 🟡 | Jeremy Renner has stated in multiple interviews that his skull was impacted and cracked during the accident. While the term "run over" might imply the full track passed over his head, he has described significant impact and injury to his skull, consistent with the severity of the accident. Medical reports or detailed accounts corroborate severe head trauma, including orbital and jaw fractures mentioned later. (Source: Jeremy Renner interviews, reports on his injuries). |
| 00:11:05 --> 00:12:32 | I only got a laceration of my liver from one of the ribs breaking in a couple spots. | 80 🟡 | Jeremy Renner's injuries included a collapsed lung and a lacerated liver, resulting from broken ribs penetrating the organ. This detail about the cause of the liver injury linked to broken ribs is consistent with reports on his condition following the accident. (Source: Jeremy Renner interviews, news reports on his injuries). |
| 00:11:05 --> 00:12:32 | And all my organs were spared in my brain [from significant damage]. | 70 🟡 | While Jeremy Renner sustained severe injuries, including to his lung and liver as noted, the claim that his brain and other vital organs were largely "spared" in the sense of avoiding catastrophic, irreversible damage is consistent with his survival and remarkable recovery, allowing him to function and engage in conversation. However, the impact on the body was immense, and some level of trauma to or near organs would have occurred, making "spared" relative. (Source: Jeremy Renner's recovery and public appearances, medical general knowledge of severe trauma). |
| 00:12:32 --> 00:12:32 | probably 20% titanium in my body at this point. | 40 🔴 | Jeremy Renner did receive numerous titanium implants, including rods, plates, and screws, to repair his extensive bone fractures. However, the claim of his body being composed of "20% titanium" is a colloquial or perhaps a rough personal estimate rather than a precise medical calculation. The percentage of body mass or volume represented by metal implants would likely be significantly lower than 20%. (Source: General knowledge of orthopedic implants, lack of medical reports supporting this specific percentage). |
| 00:14:49 --> 00:19:28 | And the guy took it out [a screw from his skull/jaw]. It's something that he got from Home Depot. Literally. | 5 🔴 | The claim that a screw used in Jeremy Renner's surgical repair was sourced from a standard hardware store like Home Depot is highly improbable and contradicts standard medical practices and regulations for surgical implants, which require specific medical-grade materials and sterilization. This statement is almost certainly a hyperbole or a metaphorical expression by Renner to convey the perceived simplicity or perhaps the unexpected sensation during removal, rather than a factual claim about the origin of the surgical hardware. (Source: Medical device regulations, standards for surgical implants, improbability of non-medical grade hardware use). |
| 01:44:25 --> 01:55:25 | I started the foundation in my community in Lake Tahoe for foster youth and disadvantaged youth. | 100 🟢 | Jeremy Renner established The Renner Foundation, based in the Reno-Tahoe area, with a stated mission focused on supporting foster youth and disadvantaged children in the community. Information about the foundation's activities and focus aligns with this description. (Source: The Renner Foundation official website, charity databases). |
| 01:44:25 --> 01:55:25 | Initially started with a show that I produced and put on Disney Plus, which is called Renovations. | 100 🟢 | Jeremy Renner stars in and produced a reality series titled "Rennervations," which premiered on Disney+ on April 12, 2023. The show features him and a team repurposing large vehicles to create mobile spaces for community use. (Source: Disney+ official information, entertainment news reports). |
| 01:44:25 --> 01:55:25 | It was taking, I built one to be a box truck to be a water treatment plant... Or take a – there's a – it took a city bus and turned it into like a dance studio, a mobile dance studio for these kids in Mexico. | 100 🟢 | The concept of Jeremy Renner's show "Rennervations" involves transforming large vehicles for charitable purposes. Episodes have featured the creation of a mobile water filtration system (not explicitly a box truck water treatment plant, but a water-focused vehicle) and a mobile dance studio from a city bus for communities in need, including in Mexico. (Source: "Rennervations" show content descriptions, Disney+). |
| 01:51:31 --> 01:51:32 | We operate at eight percent I think eight percent yeah nobody does that well that's the opposite of how they're usually done yeah exactly yeah so i mean even if we got to because no man's no one takes anything except just basic operating costs and we're operating at eight percent i think maybe 13 | 70 🟡 | While specific, real-time financial data for The Renner Foundation would be detailed in its public IRS Form 990 filings, which may not be immediately available or reflected in simple "overhead" percentages, a claim of operating with very low administrative costs (8-13%) suggests a high percentage of funds go directly to programs. Charity watchdog groups often evaluate organizations based on these ratios, and figures below 15-20% are generally considered highly efficient. Without the official filing, the exact percentage is hard to confirm, but claiming such a low overhead aligns with aiming for high program spending. (Source: General principles of charity financial efficiency evaluation, need for official Form 990 filing for precise verification). |
| 01:57:21 --> 02:09:26 | I went from very liberal and progressive san francisco in the 1970s during the vietnam war to living in florida right where it was like completely the opposite like super conservative and kind of retarded | 90 🟢 | San Francisco in the 1970s was widely recognized as a center of liberal and progressive politics and counter-cultural movements, particularly influenced by the anti-Vietnam War sentiment and social changes of the era. Comparing this to Florida, which has historically had more conservative political leanings, provides a generally accurate juxtaposition of political climates between the two locations during different periods of Renner's youth, though the term "retarded" is a derogatory and subjective description. (Source: Historical accounts of San Francisco and Florida political and social history in the 1970s-1990s). |
100 🟢
It was a new year's day, New Year's Day, 2023 [when the accident happened].
80 🟡
So, it's about like 16,000 pounds or so [referring to the snowcat].
100 🟢
It's 38 broken bones.
80 🟡
Your skull got run over.
80 🟡
I only got a laceration of my liver from one of the ribs breaking in a couple spots.
70 🟡
And all my organs were spared in my brain [from significant damage].
40 🔴
probably 20% titanium in my body at this point.
5 🔴
And the guy took it out [a screw from his skull/jaw]. It's something that he got from Home Depot. Literally.
100 🟢
I started the foundation in my community in Lake Tahoe for foster youth and disadvantaged youth.
100 🟢
Initially started with a show that I produced and put on Disney Plus, which is called Renovations.
100 🟢
It was taking, I built one to be a box truck to be a water treatment plant... Or take a – there's a – it took a city bus and turned it into like a dance studio, a mobile dance studio for these kids in Mexico.
70 🟡
We operate at eight percent I think eight percent yeah nobody does that well that's the opposite of how they're usually done yeah exactly yeah so i mean even if we got to because no man's no one takes anything except just basic operating costs and we're operating at eight percent i think maybe 13
90 🟢
I went from very liberal and progressive san francisco in the 1970s during the vietnam war to living in florida right where it was like completely the opposite like super conservative and kind of retarded